Homicide detectives and multiple suspects

I'm having problems determining how my fictional homicide detective would react when faced with multiple suspects in a murder case.

There is already a prime suspect, with all kinds of evidence against him, including a witness to him dumping the body. Then other evidence (circumstantial) against someone else surfaces. My detective looks into it, even though she doesn't really believe this guy is involved.

Would it be realistic that she gets upset about this new evidence? Could having multiple suspects, and evidence pointing in several different directions hurt the case against the real killer (and this is why she's upset)? Or would she just hunker down and chase every suspect, even the most unlikely one, in the interest of checking out every lead?

Right now she does check out every lead, but she is fairly PO'd about the new evidence. Would it just come down to the personality of the detective? If so, does it seem immature for her to get upset?

Thanks, all!

Drachen Jager said:

You would pretty much have to check out every lead, even if she was pretty sure she knew who had done it because if there is someone with evidence against them and you don't investigate that person fully it can come back to bite you in court.

If the defence got their hands on the evidence against person b) they would use it in court to prove that the prosecution's theory of the case is not the only theory, unless that suspect had been investigated to the point where they could be conclusively ruled out as a suspect.

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Cool! That's what I was thinking too – that she would definitely have to check out every lead, but that another suspect could also hurt the case.

So it makes sense, that she would be bothered? Or is that unprofessional?

jclarkdawe said:

The first thing defense counsel asks about is what's called "Brady material." This is any evidence that tends to be exculpatory or tending to prove the defendant is not guilty. Different police departments have different opinions about how extensively to apply it, but in many departments, they're going to give everything they've got. Courts hate getting involved in these petty arguments. Failure to provide it can get a case dismissed.

So the detective would know that any lead has to be run down, because the defense counsel is going to know about it. Some cops hate it, others don't care.

And part of this depends upon when they come across it. Before anyone is arrested is easy, after someone is convicted is hard. Smart cops try to avoid getting too invested in a particular suspect, but the longer the case goes on, the more they get invested.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

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Great info Jim. Thanks a lot!